And God Said
Here is a study of three individuals.
A very old man.
A very young woman.
An angel.
They had obvious differences ~ gender, age, and purpose.
Yet they had an intimate, God-connection.
Zechariah was a Jewish priest. He was faithful to his God. He was faithful to his purpose. But I'm guessing that never in a hundred years did he fully know his purpose. He fulfilled his duties in the temple, to the people, to his God, for many years. When he and his wife were very old and had no children nor the possibility to conceive children, Zechariah met Gabriel. An angel.
Zechariah was overpowered with fear (Luke 1:11).
Gabriel told him not to be afraid.
Then Gabriel continued on to inform him that he and his barren wife would have a child in their old age. A son they were to name John.
There was a list of specific details about John ~ encouraging, promising, fantastic things that any God-following parent would love to have said about their child. (Luke 1:13-17)
I'm sure Zechariah was stunned. First, an angel appeared, and then a child was promised to a barren, old couple.
After the initial fear gripped him, Zechariah was able to ask the angel how he could know this would happen, because he was an old man married to an old woman (Luke 1:18)
Gabriel speaks in response to this question :
"I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was He who sent me to bring you this good news!" (Luke 1:19, NLT)
So how could Zechariah know this would happen? The angel is pretty forward about Who sent the message. God says it will, so it will. Easy.
And because of Zechariah's challenging question about how he'd know what the angel said would actually occur, he lost his ability to speak until his child would be born.
Wow.
Now transition over to the young woman named Mary.
Our angel friend, Gabriel also paid a visit to her.
Her reaction was "confused and disturbed" (Luke 1:29, NLT).
The angel also told her not to be afraid, and then proceeded to detail his message.
She would have a baby boy as well. She was to call him Jesus. Great things were said about him too. Mind-blowing things. (Luke 1:31-33, 35)
And she too, like Zechariah, had a question for Gabriel.
"But how can I have a baby? I am a virgin." (Luke 1:34, NLT)
The angel's response seems more gentle and explanatory, and ends with "For nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:37, NLT)
At first glance, I was puzzled as to why Zechariah would receive what seemed like a punishment to his question, while Mary did not.
They both questioned.
They both seemed to doubt.
But I think maybe the difference is the question itself and the mindset behind the question.
Zechariah asked, "How will I know this will happen?" (Luke 1:18, NLT)
Simple answer :
Well, because God said it would happen.
Mary asked, "But how can I have a baby?"
Simple answer :
The Holy Spirit would come upon her and through God's power, she would become pregnant.
Zechariah's question was one of doubt and challenge.
Mary's question was one of wonder.
He distrusted what the angel, and therefore God, was saying.
She wanted to know the logistics of becoming pregnant without a husband.
He didn't believe it could happen. He questioned if the source was reliable.
She didn't doubt it could happen. She wondered how.
The juxtaposition in this scripture is beautiful.
It is a good reminder that we too need to trust and believe, even when it seems impossible to do so.
It is a good reminder that God is God.
We are not.
That God is good and has a plan and a purpose for us.
That nothing is impossible for the Almighty God who sends angels to deliver phenomenally important messages, and who made parents out of a barren, old couple and a young virgin woman.
Zechariah was a Jewish priest. He was faithful to his God. He was faithful to his purpose. But I'm guessing that never in a hundred years did he fully know his purpose. He fulfilled his duties in the temple, to the people, to his God, for many years. When he and his wife were very old and had no children nor the possibility to conceive children, Zechariah met Gabriel. An angel.
Zechariah was overpowered with fear (Luke 1:11).
Gabriel told him not to be afraid.
Then Gabriel continued on to inform him that he and his barren wife would have a child in their old age. A son they were to name John.
There was a list of specific details about John ~ encouraging, promising, fantastic things that any God-following parent would love to have said about their child. (Luke 1:13-17)
I'm sure Zechariah was stunned. First, an angel appeared, and then a child was promised to a barren, old couple.
After the initial fear gripped him, Zechariah was able to ask the angel how he could know this would happen, because he was an old man married to an old woman (Luke 1:18)
Gabriel speaks in response to this question :
"I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was He who sent me to bring you this good news!" (Luke 1:19, NLT)
So how could Zechariah know this would happen? The angel is pretty forward about Who sent the message. God says it will, so it will. Easy.
And because of Zechariah's challenging question about how he'd know what the angel said would actually occur, he lost his ability to speak until his child would be born.
Wow.
Now transition over to the young woman named Mary.
Our angel friend, Gabriel also paid a visit to her.
Her reaction was "confused and disturbed" (Luke 1:29, NLT).
The angel also told her not to be afraid, and then proceeded to detail his message.
She would have a baby boy as well. She was to call him Jesus. Great things were said about him too. Mind-blowing things. (Luke 1:31-33, 35)
And she too, like Zechariah, had a question for Gabriel.
"But how can I have a baby? I am a virgin." (Luke 1:34, NLT)
The angel's response seems more gentle and explanatory, and ends with "For nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:37, NLT)
At first glance, I was puzzled as to why Zechariah would receive what seemed like a punishment to his question, while Mary did not.
They both questioned.
They both seemed to doubt.
But I think maybe the difference is the question itself and the mindset behind the question.
Zechariah asked, "How will I know this will happen?" (Luke 1:18, NLT)
Simple answer :
Well, because God said it would happen.
Mary asked, "But how can I have a baby?"
Simple answer :
The Holy Spirit would come upon her and through God's power, she would become pregnant.
Zechariah's question was one of doubt and challenge.
Mary's question was one of wonder.
He distrusted what the angel, and therefore God, was saying.
She wanted to know the logistics of becoming pregnant without a husband.
He didn't believe it could happen. He questioned if the source was reliable.
She didn't doubt it could happen. She wondered how.
The juxtaposition in this scripture is beautiful.
It is a good reminder that we too need to trust and believe, even when it seems impossible to do so.
It is a good reminder that God is God.
We are not.
That God is good and has a plan and a purpose for us.
That nothing is impossible for the Almighty God who sends angels to deliver phenomenally important messages, and who made parents out of a barren, old couple and a young virgin woman.
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